The Gumball Machine
by Cerulean City
Summary: A series of short oneshots about Pokémon Special. HER name is Blue, HIS name is Green. T, just to be safe.
1. Battle

These are in response to The Domain's Challenge Three/One, under the rules and regulations as set forth by Rahna. I will be posting these once a day until they're finished.

Feedback is greatly appreciated!

DISCLAIMER:

Stupid waste of my time, but it should be obvious that I do not own Pokémon; be it the characters, the franchise, or any other related product or entity. I own only these suppository and theoretical looks into the canon characters of the manga Pokémon Special. All rights reserved, Satoshi Tajiri, the Pokémon company, Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Ltd, as well as whoever publishes and draws this thing.

* * *

Number Six. Battle.

Even though Ruby would never admit it in his life, to anyone, _ever,_ he loved watching her battle. The way she dipped and ducked and dived across the field, following her Battlers and her opponents; it was an art form in itself.

She'd run along on the tips of her fingers and toes. Her run cycle was like a lope, Ruby noticed; one hand up and then coming down, her legs swinging forth and back, pumping faster than pistons. It was wonderful to watch her lope along like that. She was so human and fragile underneath the tough exterior, even when she hopped on her hands and feet like a drunk Spinda. She'd cry out to her fighters, giving commands and dodging attacks and generally acting like a big damn nuisance but she was a part of it; a part of the battle. Somehow she was all caught up in it. That was something that Ruby couldn't do.

Since the Salamence, Ruby hated battling and lived only to watch Sapphire do it for him.


	2. Bitter

:D

DISCLAIMER:

Stupid waste of my time, but it should be obvious that I do not own Pokémon; be it the characters, the franchise, or any other related product or entity. I own only these suppository and theoretical looks into the canon characters of the manga Pokémon Special. All rights reserved, Satoshi Tajiri, the Pokémon company, Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Ltd, as well as whoever publishes and draws this thing.

* * *

Number Thirteen. Bitter. 

"I'm not bitter," she replied smoothly, voice carefully modulated.

"Yes, you are, I can feel it!" he snapped back, rolling his eyes. He wiped a stray hair from his face. "You're bitter that we even got into this mess in the first place, bitter that you trusted a goof like me, bitter that you left home in the first place—"

"Stop being a pest," she replied simply. With her boots, she scrubbed in the dirt absentmindedly, already replaying in her head his frantic arm motions. "This, Pearl, is a singularly gratifying experience."

Pearl turned to her, frowning. "How is being stuck in a cave-in with me a gratifying experience?"

She caught him about the arm. Pearl froze as she rubbed one slender finger (absentmindedly, he noticed it was the diamond-ring finger) up his arm. Her skin was soft, softer than pillows of Altaria-down. He gulped, for once in his life, speechless.

"Because I'm stuck with you," she finally spoke up, voice husky and somehow as carefully flat as usual. Her lips ghosted against his from the rock she was sitting on. Their breath mingled; her lips so close, so close, (_should he dare to cross the distance_?), she leaned forward…

"So stop being a pest!" she hissed, breaking the moment entirely.

Pearl fell over, hitting the dirt with a loud thump, his head dazed and buzzing miles a minute.

"So…you like me?" he finally asked.

Missy looked primly down at him. "Stop being a pest, and I might."

Pearl grinned.


	3. Anguish

Feedback's what keeps me going, peoples. Sound off, please!

:D

_HER _name is Blue, _HIS _name is Green.

DISCLAIMER:

Stupid waste of my time, but it should be obvious that I do not own Pokémon; be it the characters, the franchise, or any other related product or entity. I own only these suppository and theoretical looks into the canon characters of the manga Pokémon Special. All rights reserved, Satoshi Tajiri, the Pokémon company, Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Ltd, as well as whoever publishes and draws this thing.

* * *

Number Two. Anguish.

The cry tore from her lips in a rush. It was a primal scream. It was the sound of an animal screaming in pain and anger. He'd never heard it before, and so he came running, one hand at his waist in preparation to throw out his Charizard to defend her. He rounded the corner of the ship, and saw her standing, all shields gone, all emotion out. Sobbing, she clutched the railing of the ship, one hand pulling hard on the metal and the other in her hair, twisting it around her finger. Any physical pain was better than the swirl of emotion she was feeling on the inside. She crumpled to the deck of the Seagallop Ferry 7 in a heap, legs splayed and bag dropping with a thunk and limbs slipping. Choking sobs racked her chest. She crushed her hat in her hands and clutched it, one hand still on the rail, the other wiping her tears with her hat.

"It's not fair!"she screamed, her voice raspy and hoarse already. "It's not _fair!"_

He squatted in front of her; gently touched her shoulder. She flinched and tossed the hat in his face, trying to brush him off, brush him away. When he doesn't leave she collapses on his shirt and spills her salty tears down his front. He gently patted her on the back and she reached up to touch his hair, then wraps one hand around his neck and pulls hard, hard. Physical pain is better than the emotions.

"Blue," he whispered in her ear, "it's going to be all right."

She looked up at him blearily, eyes puffy and swollen and_ angry _with a scary fire that could rival even a Flamethrower.

"After all those years…I find my parents," she whispered, "and something takes them. Out from under my hands. I almost touched her; my mother. If my fingers had been just a little bit longer; if I'd stretched just a little more, Green, I could have touched her for the first time—"

She broke off into sobs of unadulterated anguish and he kissed the top of her bare head gently. He grimaced as her nails broke the flesh on the back of his neck; but then, his gaze softened. Physical pain was better than feeling the emotions.


	4. Untrustworthy

Feedback always appreciated!

* * *

Number Fifteen. Untrustworthy.

"It's not simply a matter of handing out the Pokédex willy-nilly, you know," Professor Oak said, "but a matter of the Pokédex finding the right person for the job."

He nodded sagely. Around him in the hallway were several reporters who clung to his every word, drinking in his speech and automatically copying them down in their notebooks or their BlukBerrys or any recording device.

"To elaborate," Oak supplied, the unspoken question understood, "the Pokédex owners all have a certain quality about them. A quality that makes them unique and stand out among even a crowd of good Trainers. You can tell true talent a mile away when you're in my shoes, as many Trainers and Pokémon as I've seen in my life. But what makes these children so special is that they've found something in the world, something that complements their own understanding of the universe and their own understanding of the way that Pokémon function. Each possesses a talent, a wonderful and unspeakable talent. It's something that only they know. And with that knowledge is the power to see the world differently, but not too differently. Just enough to be clever and fast enough to react and adapt to change and their surroundings."

"Professor," a reporter stuttered, "but what makes you put trust in these kids, over all those others, like you say? What if their talents aren't for good, but for evil purposes?"

Oak smiled. "My boy, if they were untrustworthy, I wouldn't have given them a Pokédex, would I?"


	5. Gaze

:D

...I knew that eventually I would run out of things to say.

* * *

Number Sixteen. Gaze.

They could just look at each other once and know what the other was thinking. They were so in tune with each other's look that they didn't need to touch or speak to be in the other's head. They didn't fight and make a lot of noise like Ruby or Sapphire, they didn't annoy the piss out of each other like Green and Blue, they didn't need to mutter or awkwardly and shyly touch each other like Silver or Gold.

Yellow and Red could express their feelings absolutely silently. One glance was all it took.

He was the Fighter: he could size up an opponent in the blink of an eye. Gauge their strengths and weaknesses and discard them without blinking. And when he took the time to scrutinize something, it was serious. It meant he had to think hard.

She was the Healer: with merely a suggestion, she could tell when a Pokémon was hurting. She felt rather than actually saw, but when she closed her eyes, she could 'see' the world much more clearly. And then she'd lean back and gaze thoughtfully and think.

It was all in the glance, but the hard scrutiny and the deep contemplation made gazing at each other the true declaration of their innermost feelings.


	6. Artwork

Not one of my favorites, but it'll do. Sorry it's late--this weekend's been busy.

Feedback appreciated.

* * *

Number Five. Artwork.

"So these are our seniors," Sapphire breathed, mouth agape, "the Pokédex owners?"

Gold nodded, one hand reaching up and out to lay a cool finger, a brushing glance on a certain hand. "That's why we need Jirachi," he elaborated.

Ruby was standing a few paces off while Sapphire wrestled with the thought that these statues were actually humans. He looked from the first, clutching a young girl in his arms, to the second behind him, dramatically glancing over his shoulder, to the third, shock plastered in her eyes, to the last, who was slightly removed and exuded a sense of haughty royalty and resignation at the same time.

"…it's such a work of art," he finally squeaked, "such a work of art! Look at the magnificence of the lines, the way that his arm melts to hers which leads the eye to the third and back to this other guy's eyes, where the viewer rests and looks back, thoroughly chilled! Ooh, _magnificent_!"

At the end, he was positively swooning with admiration as Gold and Sapphire stared. Without further ado, and with a confused nod from Gold, she marched over to Ruby and whacked him upside the head, sending him crashing to the floor.

"What's wrong with you, pretty-boy! We've got to get these people out, not stand there talking about whatever all day long!" She turned on her heel, and Ruby looked up in time to see her cerulean outfit swish away haughtily.

Ruby rubbed his head through the ridiculous white cloth-hair thing he always wore. He rolled his eyes. "Artwork is wasted on Jungle Girl," he muttered to the statue by way of apology.


	7. Jagged

Completely my bad, folks. Yesterday I just plumb forgot to update. Haha.

More FranticShipping--my absolute fave.

And as always, enjoy.

* * *

Number Ten. Jagged.

Sapphire was lying on the branch again on Mirage Island, looking up at Ruby. He'd discarded his cloth hat. It lay accusingly beside him as he kneeled before her, locking his eyes, hands out to the sides, palms forward.

She couldn't look at his eyes anymore. All she could do was touch the jagged scar that tore down the right side of his head. Her fingers played across the rough raised tissue, feeling all around it. His hair had stopped growing from the force of the Salamence's claws at that particular spot. Only exposed skin. No wonder he wore that stupid cloth hat all the time, it really ruined the effect of his striking beauty.

Sapphire then laughed out loud at that thought. Ruby? Beautiful?

…she loved him.

Sobbing, she clung to the silent and unmoving Ruby, beating her hands on his chest and screaming. He never moved, of course, that's not how dreams worked. He was a statue and she could just run her fingers over the jagged edge of his skull and feel his scar. It was her fault. She hadn't been strong enough back then. She hadn't been strong enough to protect herself. That's why she was obsessed with battling. Obsessed with proving her prowess.

Because she couldn't feel weak in front of Ruby again.


	8. Light

Little more than a drabble, less than a 'shot.

Feeback loved!

* * *

Number Eleven. Light. 

"I heard from a friend that the Grand Meteorite can negate the powers of nature!" Wallace cried, examining the stone in Sapphire's clenched fingers. "That fact was proven when it stopped the volcano's activity. That means…"

"If we use its irradiation on the jewels…" Sapphire continued.

"…we can bring those two back to their senses!" Ruby finished, elated. The sparkle was there in the both of their eyes, especially when Winona turned from the two battling titans and shouted, "Where should we aim?!"

They deliberated for a moment, trying to find where the jewels that controlled the two battling ancients were found in the human's bodies. The heat from Groudon was nearly unbearable; Sapphire almost felt like her face was melting off. Similarly, Kyogre's aura felt like the inexorable death of drowning at sea, stifling. Cold.

"…which means the symbols mark the position of the jewels," Ruby was saying, "now the jewels are _in their foreheads!" _

Ruby turned to Sapphire as Wallace handed her back the fragment of the meteor. "Let's do it! We'll succeed this time!"

"Yup!" Sapphire agreed. "We'll totally bring an end to all this!"

Ruby turned, and without any further hesitation, he tossed the fragment up in the air; Sapphire, her Blaziken Toro, and Ruby's Swampert Zuzu at the ready. At the last instant, he shouted, "GO!"

And the blast of fire and water shot out from the respective Pokémon, engulfing the fragment. A blindingly white beam shot out from the center of the meteorite fragment as it disintegrated, bouncing off the Reflect shields erected by the Gym Leaders and splitting into two before striking Archie and Maxie on their foreheads. Groudon and Kyogre roared in shock, arching backwards with twin pain from the humans they were entwined with, all four screaming. The roar sent a deafening rumble throughout both Ruby and Sapphire's bones. Sootopolis itself seemed to shudder…and then the world went totally silent as the force of the meteor fragment grew bigger and bigger. Groudon, Kyogre, Archie and Maxie disappeared in the flash of light, their noise stopping almost as if it had been cut off with a switch. Winona buried her hand in her shoulder, shielding her eyes.

Ruby could only grab Sapphire's hand, both staring ahead, eyes widening in fear. Toro and Zuzu jumped in front of their Trainers, both speechless, mouths agape in terror.

Wallace glanced up at the last second, about to call a warning. All he could see was Ruby and Sapphire, their edges blurring to nothingness around the light, fading away, the sheer brightness of the energy engulfing them. Wallace thought it was almost beautiful; striking, in a way. He'd forever remember the image of the two being simply _swallowed _from the Meteor's fallout, their shadows fading in the light...

…and then all went dark.


	9. Bittersweet

:D

So...I freakin' love Crystal. Sucks that she got shafted for the remakes.

* * *

Number Eighteen. Bittersweet. 

Crystal swirled the chocolate on the tip of her finger before taking a delicate taste. She chewed thoughtfully, before rolling over onto her back, staring up at the clouds.

"Mmm," she told Mega, the tiny Chikorita standing beside her, "it's delicious."

Her mother, the similarly-crazed Capture Pro, had sent a little picnic basket with her Wobbuffet. In it, several little chocolate treats had been tucked away for a snack as well as a filling meal that Kris enjoyed heartily. While training, the Capture Pro had been eating Berries and other wild things; this meal was a welcome distraction.

Crystal was taking a small break from her training. The day atop Mount Mortar was beautiful. The sun was hot, but not too hot; a gentle breeze was blowing from the south, and Crystal was lying in the grass, Mega sitting patiently beside her, watching her intently.

"It's kinda…bittersweet, I think," She finally remarked, "this place is so pretty. I can nearly see all of Johto from up here—it's huge! But here…I came here because I failed, Mega."

Sighing, she sat up, patting the loyal Chikorita on the leaf sprouting from his head.

"So I've just got to get up and do better, huh?" She grinned. "I'm going to do better. Come on. Let's get back to training. You and Arkee will be targets this time."

She stood up, packing the small lunch up, and headed back to the flat place where she'd determined it was her training grounds. She was going to reclaim her ability as a Capture Pro, and complete the Pokédex for Professor Oak. And she was going to do it today.


	10. Sky

I have _I'm On a Boat _stuck in my head.

Dx

* * *

Number Nineteen. Sky. 

Gold hugged Ataro to him, feeling the Aipom's silky fur. The thin Aipom would squeak comfortably every so often Gold scratched his ears or head in the right place. Gold continued idly, staring at the sky.

They were sitting on a grassy knoll. The wind tugged at the black-haired boy's cap, trying to steal it away as it rustled the grass of the plain. Beside the monkey-like Aipom and the short stature of Gold, Explotaro nosed in the grass. The echidna munched idly on little beetles he found. After a while, he titled his furrowed brow and chewed thoughtfully, looking up at the sky.

"It's obvious that other fella really likes Totodile," Gold remarked idly to Ataro, and Explotaro. "You know, guys, we gotta work just as hard as he does. He's got something goin' on. And we're gonna catch him at it, whatever it is."

He shifted, dumping the Aipom into the grass. The purple-furred mammal squeaked again before rolling comfortably around in the soft grass. Gold idly picked at a dandelion.

"But …even if Explotaro wants to come with us, he'll have to fight against his buddy," Gold told Ataro, "and I can't make him do that. It's like if someone took you and then made me fight with Lickytaro, y'know? Lickytaro wouldn't do it."

He flopped back down on his back again. A long exhale escaped from his lips. "Ah. I guess it's not my choice, either way, is it? Time for some shut-eye. It's a great day."

Before too long, he was snoring, and Explotaro was thoughtfully chewing and watching the clouds again.


	11. Hope

Pirates rule, Ninjas drool!

* * *

Number Twenty. Hope. 

In the end, Blue found that she and Giovanni were after the same thing. Fighting for the hope that they could reunite their families. She'd thought he was a monster, a horrible person, a cruel and twisted leader. Pryce had kidnapped her; Deoxys had taken her family away from her; Giovanni was manipulating Deoxys into doing his bidding. It was the same in her mind. And what did that big oaf, Orm, keep blubbering about? The bonds of family?

Blue had taken the bangle that contained the Hydro Cannon instructions from Kimberly in a stroke of pickpocket skill she'd hadn't exercised in a while. She was going to learn the Attack, whether the crazy bitch taught her or not.

Like she'd told Red after their heart-to-heart on the beach, it was personal. It was for the hope that she could finally have what she'd never had…a family.


	12. Tales

Not much to say, except I think we're past the halfway point. I dunno. Bad at math. XD

Enjoy.

* * *

Number Four. Tales. 

Stories ran, tongues wagged, people whispered about the Pokédex owners. All ten of them, wherever they went. They'd whisper and point and gawk and swarm like an obedient herd of Stantler around the ones that were trusted enough by Oak to get one of his funny little inventions. The bolder ones would run up and ask for battles, ask to travel with them. Ask them anything, really. The ten were famous, and for a reason.

But it was different in Sevii. Red, Green and Blue were treated like some sort of plague. Like they weren't worthy of the legend that had preceded them. They weren't worthy enough to carry the Pokédex, no matter what that old coot Oak said. They had suddenly become more than human, and the residents of the islands resented that. A tale is a tale, a legend a legend.

But the tales about the Pokédex owners left a bitter taste in the mouth. No matter their greatness, they were still just humans, after all.


	13. Cruelty

...and here's where you start noticing a pattern, right? /shot

This is the last one before we move on to other subjects. I'm pretty sure. But anyway. Enjoy.

* * *

Number Seventeen. Cruelty. 

Archie was the only one who was completely capable of cruelty, it seemed. Sird, although twisted and rotten, staggered off into the sunset redeemed. Carr, the swine, got what was coming to him. Orm? He didn't matter. Giovanni was forgiven in the end because of the love in Silver's heart. Pryce was never found; out of sight, out of mind.

Archie.

The Ten remembered that moment clearly. The looks of horror and confusion, when Archie had finally revealed Maxie's fate. Indirectly, Sird could take the blame for that one. She was, after all, the one who had instigated the final battle. But she merely provided them the tools to finish the job. No, she couldn't be blamed. She only said that the winner would be the most evil. And Archie was the only one who had what it took. He was the only one that had complete, utter and absolute cruelty. After all, he was going to drown the world in water; quench the burning fires of hearts and minds alike, and drift, endlessly, on the sea.

When he vanished no one missed him.


	14. Full Moon

Obscure pairing FTW!

Feedback greatly appreciated.

* * *

Number Three. Full Moon. 

Misty crept into the chamber, her heart pounding. Behind her, Brock kept an eye on the local wildlife, making sure they wouldn't be attacked by any unfriendly creature.

She made certain to make little noise as she squirmed through the narrow tunnel. With a few kicks of her legs, she burst her shoulders through the hole. Sighing contentedly, she leaned against the wall for a minute, catching her breath.

Above, the chamber opened into a beautifully clear night. The moon was not completely above her yet. Misty blew experimentally into the air, watching her breath curl in the chilly mountain scenery. A scuffle came from behind her, and two Clefable popped into the chamber. One immediately saw her; Misty froze; but they continued about their business, deftly sweeping their curled tails on the hard stone floor. After a while, one called out a clear signal, and the room was suddenly crowded with Cleffa, Clefairy and Clefable. Misty gasped at the sight as a Clefable jumped atop the large spherical rock in the center of the chamber, singing loudly. A response came from the gathered Pokémon, and their festival was underway.

Misty watched, tears in her eyes, as a few Clefairy touched the rock and immediately moved into the strange metamorphic process of evolution. All around her, the pudgy pink forms danced, twirling and singing and chanting gently, praising their moon and their right to become stronger creatures. A few of the little ones—the Cleffa—came up to her and sang directly to her, threading through her legs like she was part of the scenery. Misty wiped a tear out of her eye. She was astonished. She'd found the Moonstone and gotten to see one of the rarest sights of all the Pokémon creation—the Moon Evolution Festival.

Climbing back down through the tunnel, she found Brock perched on a large rock, his Geodude ringed around him comfortably. He smiled.

"Well?"

Misty grinned broadly. "The full moon…it was so beautiful…I only wish Red were here to see it, too."


	15. Wisecrack

Missy = Platinum, btw.

Oh, these are finished now! -throws confetti- Updates daily until they're done, excepting a couple days when I move back to school.

Feedback appreciated!

* * *

Number Seven. Wisecrack. 

Missy watched atop her Ponyta as Pearl and Dia—uh, Diamond—again recited one of their double act jokes. The two had such boundless energy. Always, they were joking and laughing and hitting each other with the easy familiarity of those who've known each other for a very long time. And when they were standing on the roof of the hotel in Oreburgh, watching the Bidoof chew up the Staraptor statue, she understood.

It was their love for the wisecracks that kept them together.

"Not quite a tooth for your teeth, eh Bidoof?" Diamond's voice echoed back to her as she continued.

She'd giggled then, and Pearl had flipped out as she'd pulled back on her impassive and unemotional face.

"Don't be such a pest," she interrupted, lost in her own musings.

Pearl jumped like he'd been shot as Diamond thoughtfully chewed on a sandwich. "What's that, Missy?" the slower of the two asked.

She smiled warmly at Diamond as Pearl nearly fainted from shock. "Nothing, friend."


	16. Mud

Meh. Feedback, please~

-starts timing Ninja- :D

* * *

Number Nine. Mud.

The rain poured down around the two standing atop the roof of the abandoned Weather Institute. Sparks of lightning would flash back and forth every so often, plunging both of the figures into sharp relief before the rain obscured their silhouettes again.

Ruby and Norman traded insults at each other. They yelled back and forth over the storm to show their prowess and intimidate. Zuzu held his own against Norman's Slaking and Vigoroth; two of Norman's most powerful Pokémon. Ruby was beginning to think he'd had the upper hand.

Then the staircase had cracked, very nearly sending both Ruby and Norman to their deaths. They were saved by the tireless efforts of Mimi the Feebas, and quick thinking with Ruby's almost jet propelled shoes. Norman had said some harsh words to Ruby as he lay there in the muck under the waning influence of the storm. He challenged the boy to finish what he started.

And little did he know, even as the region flooded with mud, Ruby was.


	17. Laughter

Three more to go!

Feedbackplz.

* * *

Number Twelve. Laughter.

Blue was leaning casually on the side of the doorframe, looking in at the group assembled. The Battle Dome's tournament was over. Emerald had won the Tactics Symbol that morning after he'd awoken from his nap and fought the other Pokédex holders for the coveted prize. The battles had been fierce, but friendly and of course, fun.

There was something that ran inbetween all of them. A common thread, a trend perhaps. Something that automatically bound them to each other. From her work as the Evolver, she could sense that thread. That drive that motivated them. Of course, she didn't know half of them. They'd been frozen for a long time, and she'd only barely met Crystal and Gold. The three newbies—Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald—were fitting in like they'd always been there, but it still wasn't the same, to Blue.

At least, it wasn't the same until she heard Sapphire let out a big belly guffaw of laughter at one of Red's dumb jokes, and the others laughed at the girl who was currently rolling on the floor.

Blue smiled, blinking back tears. Here she was, laughing along with them, because they were all the same on the inside.


	18. Nauseous

Ninja, timer go!

Also, hello to the new readers; thank you for the favorites and the reviews! There are two drabble/shots left, people! First thing I've ever finished. Whoooooo.

Feedback appreciated.

* * *

Number Fourteen. Nauseous. 

Silver dropped into his eighteenth-hideout-somewhere-in-the-Sevii-Islands with a careful bump. Sparing a quick glance at the road to make sure he hadn't been followed, he closed the secret hatch under the boulder. Quickly touching the door that was in the hollowed out chamber, he slipped into a Secret-Base like room.

It was immediately apparent that Giovanni was up and awake; in fact, he was sitting on the cot, thumbing through the radio that was on the nearby bedside table. Ursaring looked up from where the Hibernator Pokémon had been crouching, keeping a wary eye on the man. The ex-Boss of Team Rocket looked up when the door entered, letting a smile cross his face. He made to embrace the boy, stopped only by a warning growl from Ursaring. Silver stood in the doorway, face turned down, hair in his eyes.

"Giovanni…Father…there's something I must tell you."

Giovanni nodded, his heart leaping at the mention of the word 'father'. "Anything, my boy." His voice was creaky and cracked. His composure was slipping, but he respected the boy's wishes and remained in place.

"I understand that you did all you did, creating Mewtwo, capturing Deoxys, using resources, to find me. And I am flattered, really. Just to know that I was loved enough..."

Silver broke off, visually composing himself. "But it...it doesn't excuse any of what you did! You did terrible things to people; broke up families and hurt lots of Pokémon!" He shouted, flinging a finger. "The very thought of you makes me sick, now! How could you be my father, you…_monster!" _

He sank to his feet, sobbing. Giovanni ignored the warning growls from Ursaring this time and knelt down, touching the boy's shoulder.

"You're nauseous at the sight of me, boy," he said, low and husky, "but I love you, Silver. You're my son. My…only son. You're the most important thing to me, boy. I love you, and will always love you."

Silver flung his arms around Giovanni, tears falling on the older man's chest. "I love you too, Father."


	19. Idiocy

Yay, time for the OTP! Yeah, boyxboy love, don't like, don't read.

Feedback appreciated.

* * *

Number Eight. Idiocy. 

Gold was lounging on a low wall that someone had built to separate their property from someone else's. Ataro played happily by skipping up and down the stone surface. His calls mingled with the local wildlife, but neither Gold nor his companion paid the skipping monkey any mind.

The black-haired boy was sneaking glances at his companion, looking from his shoes to the sky, and then just all around. He thought it might have been too obvious. Then again, Gold wasn't a subtle person. He jumped into things without question, doing what he thought he needed to.

"So…now what?" he asked his companion.

The other boy was leaning on that selfsame wall a few paces away. Gold could almost reach out and touch him if he wanted. With a careful flick he tossed his red hair out of his line of sight, and Gold nearly groaned at the sight. His lust…well. He shouldn't say that. Silver had just been through the most trying experience of his life and he definitely didn't need Gold unloading his hormones all over him.

"We keep moving." Silver replied curtly. His voice was low and soft. Gold knew immediately that'd he'd been crying.

Springing to his feet, the younger boy thrust out his arm to block the progress of his companion. "You're a wreck."

"Who asked you?" Silver snapped, shoving rudely past Gold.

Gold felt the familiar feelings of lust and anger spring in his chest. Two opposing factions always rose in his head; _how dare Silver push me!_ One part screamed while the other replied tersely, _he's been through a lot, I could help him, help him, help him…_

Grabbing Silver by the arm, Gold swung him around until they were face to face. Silver's eyes burned dangerously in surprise, but Gold ignored him. His heart was thudding dangerously against his ribs but he ignored every warning screaming in his brain to stop, to think, to perhaps wait for a second and then he kissed Silver.

Silver went rigid.

Gold let go of the other boy's arm, but he didn't step away and Silver didn't push him again. He hesitantly opened his eyes and saw Silver's brimming with tears and pulled away. He'd hurt the redhead more than he knew.

"Gold…"

"Let's just pretend I didn't just do that—" Gold started, but Silver's hand on his lips stopped him.

"You're an idiot, but you mean well," Silver whispered. "Forgive me?"

Gold nodded as he rubbed his hand along the material of Silver's gloves. They leaned forward into each other, foreheads gently touching.

"Always."


	20. Hiss

Y'know, it's bittersweet. This will be the first story I've ever finished (and I mean it). I hope that you enjoyed every snapshot, dear reader. I know I did.

For the final time; feedback appreciated.

* * *

Number One. Hiss. 

"Won't stop 'till it's over!" Red shouted over his shoulder. "Come on, you Slowpokes!"

Yellow giggled as she raced behind Red down the long grassy slope of the hill behind Oak's lab. The Pokédex holders had gathered for a reunion, families and all. They had just returned from the Hoenn region and the crisis with Guile Hideout, now revealed as Archie, and Oak had insisted they take a few days of rest from the ordeal. So impromptu tournaments had been arranged, food was prepared, and the 'Dex holders were relaxing.

Except for Green, of course.

His lanky body was sprawled out underneath, predictably, an oak tree. A few yards away Gold had copied his lead, but the younger boy was snoring loudly instead of watching the proceedings. Yellow and Red had organized a game of baseball against Blue, Sapphire, Crystal and Emerald, with Silver acting as the umpire and their families chatting with each other across the grassy plain at the food tables.

"Hey, Daisy," he murmured, noticing the slender form of his sister enter his field of view on the right. "Why aren't you over there with the others?"

Daisy shrugged as she sat demurely next to him. She tucked her legs under her body very ladylike as she picked at the grass. "I could ask you the same thing," she replied with a twinkle. "You're brooding again."

Green growled. "I'm not brooding."

"You are, brother," Daisy returned, "so what are you thinking about?"

Green sighed as he shifted to his side and propped himself on an elbow. Up above him, Daisy swung her long brown hair for no reason than it matched the low whisper of the wind in the grass.

"It's just…I'm sixteen years old, Daisy. It's been nearly five since I set out on my journey…and all sorts of things have happened to me. But I'm wondering if I'm getting too old for this."

"Too old?" Daisy smirked. "You? Are you sure you're my brother?"

Green laughed for a moment before returning to his original position on his back, arms propping his head. "No, D, it's not that." He paused for a long moment. "We're all in a state of transition, I guess. Here we are, resting until some other crisis pops up. We're like the fire brigade: always rushing about to put out fires. It feels like we're just at the beck and call of the people to take care of their messes. Team Rocket. Team Magma. Team Aqua. I wonder, what's the point? Have we reached the end of it? have we reached the end of our adventures? Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are kids. Just kids. I was that young once and I had fun, but I don't know if we're supposed to stick around or not. If our time is up and we're too old for this crap anymore."

Daisy paused for a long moment. Her brother brought up valid points. "I read a poem once. The author was talking about the hissing of the sands of time racing against him in an hourglass. He wanted something to do but the world had no use for him anymore, and so he could only do what the world wanted him to do, which was step out of the spotlight and let someone else take his place."

Green shrugged. "Something like that."

"You know, Green, if it's not your turn anymore, it's not your turn. You let the others have their credit. They follow in your footsteps, you know. They look up to you."

Green's face blanched, but Daisy shook her head softly. "I'm not finished, little brother," she added. "Your story is not over yet. You think it is, but it's not. There's so much more of the world out there that you haven't seen. There are whole regions just waiting for you to discover. And the younger kids will follow your lead—they respect your judgment as a friend, and most especially as a Gym Leader. You're still in the game, little brother. Don't ever forget it."

Green looked up at Daisy hanging above him, and smiled. She was right. There was more to his story, and Blue's story, and Red's story…and Yellow and everyone else, too. They'd go into the next chapter together…whatever the next chapter happened to be.

"Thanks, D," he murmured.

"You're welcome," she responded gaily. "Now, what do you say to whipping those Hoenn kids at baseball?"

Green grinned a feral smile. "Let's go for it."


End file.
